Ukraine Strikes Russian Naval Targets in Sevastopol
Smoke rises from the shipyard that was reportedly hit by Ukrainian missile attack in Sevastopol, Crimea. (Reuters)
Ukraine launched a major attack on Russian naval targets and port infrastructure in Sevastopol, Crimea, early on Wednesday. This marks the most significant strike of the war on the home of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet.
Moscow confirmed the strike, which underscores Kyiv’s increasing missile capabilities as Russia continues to bombard Ukraine from a distance with long-range missiles and assault drones.
“We confirm a large landing vessel and submarine were hit. We do not comment on the means [used] for the strike,” said Ukrainian military intelligence official Andriy Yusov, providing no further details on the extent of the damage.
Russia’s defense ministry stated that Ukraine attacked a Black Sea shipyard with 10 cruise missiles and 3 uncrewed speedboats, damaging two military vessels undergoing repairs. It claimed to have intercepted seven of the incoming missiles and destroyed the attack boats with a Russian patrol ship.
“This is truly the biggest attack on Sevastopol since the beginning of the war,” said retired Ukrainian Navy captain Andriy Ryzhenko.
Sevastopol is a crucial city used by the Black Sea Fleet, which the Kremlin utilizes to project power into the Middle East and Mediterranean. During the war in Ukraine, it has also served as a de facto blockade on Ukraine’s seaborne food exports via the Turkish straits.
Ukraine has attempted to challenge the fleet’s naval dominance by employing sea drones packed with explosives. However, Russia has persisted in using its warships to launch missile attacks on Ukraine throughout the 18-month-long conflict.
The type of missile used by Kyiv in the attack on Sevastopol remains unclear. It is speculated that Ukraine may have utilized domestically made Neptune anti-ship missiles modified to target ground installations. There is also a possibility that British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles were employed.
According to unnamed sources cited by Britain’s Sky News, Storm Shadows were indeed used in the attack.
The West has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to aid in its defense against Russian forces that have occupied significant territories in the south and east since their full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Public Claim of Responsibility
In an unusual move, the Ukrainian military publicly claimed responsibility for the strike, something it typically refrains from doing for attacks on Russia or the Crimean peninsula.
“On the morning of Sept. 13, the Ukrainian armed forces conducted successful strikes on naval assets and port infrastructure of the occupiers at the docks of temporarily occupied Sevastopol,” stated the Ukrainian military on Telegram.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, reported on Telegram that at least 24 people had been injured. He shared a night photo showing flames engulfing what appeared to be port infrastructure. Russian Telegram channels also posted videos and additional photos of the facility on fire.
Residents of Sevastopol recounted being awakened by the attack. Despite the disturbance, some remained unfazed.
“My child was woken up as well. It was about 3 in the morning. We got very scared. Everything was shaking,” said Nadezhda Lunyova.
Another resident, Alexander Ivanov, who had just returned from the war, expressed calmness among the townspeople. “Everything is calm in town now. People are actually even curiously checking what happened. There’s no fear,” he said.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne, Anna Pruchnicka, Kyiv newsroom, Felix Light and Reuters TV; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Timothy Heritage and Alison Williams)
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